Door for hopper-bottom cars.



G. E. BABBITT.

D0011 FOR HOPPER BOTTOM (mas.

LPPLIOATION FILED JAN. 18. 1911.

Patented Dec. 5, 1911.

69 1 dab/Z 2? $1; 5%

structing -ice, thus enablin UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE E. BABBITT, OF ALBANY, NEW YORK.

DOOR FOB HOPPER-BOTTOM CABS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Gnonor: E. Bannrrr, a citizen of the United States of America, residin at Albany, in the county of Albany and tate of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Doors for Hopper-Bottom Cars, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to railroad, mining and other cars which are provided with a hopper body, and it has articular reference to an improved door 0 osure for the bottom of such cars. It fre uently happens during fthe winter season t at cars of this class which are exposed to the weather when loaded receive an accumulation of moisture which will settle in the bottom of the car and there become congealed or frozen, thus obstructing and seriously interfering with the operation of the door when the car is to be unloaded.

This invention has for one of its objects to provide simple and eflicient means whereby the door and the vicinity of the door may be heated sufliciently to thaw the ohthe door to be conveniently manipulated or the discharge of the contents of the car.

A further object of the invention is to provide a door or obstructing valve for hopper cars which shall be simple, easily manipulated and which may be operated in such a manner as to permit a ortion of the load to be dumped, after whic the door or valve may be restored to an obstructing position, thus permitting the remainder of the load to be moved to a different dumping place.

A further object of the invention is to rovide simple and improved means wherey the door or valve may be firmly retained in an obstructing position or in a partly or entirely open position, as may be required.

With these and other ends in view which will readily appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the improved construction and novel arrangement and combination of parts which will be hereinafter full described and particularly pointed out in t .e claim.

In the accompanying drawing has been illustrated a sim 1e and preferred form of the invention, it eing, however, understood that no limitation is necessarily made to the recise structural details therein exhibited, ut that'changes, alterations and modifica- Speciflcation of Letters Patent.

Application filed January 18, 1011.

. or it may be made 0 Patented Dec. 5, 1911.

Serial No. 608,400.

' tions within the scope of the claim may be resorted to when desired.

In the drawing,--I*igure 1 is a sectional elevation showing a portion of a hopper car equipped with a door constructed in accord ance with the invention. Fig. 2 is a partial sectional view taken on the line 22 in Flg. 1. Fig. 3 is a partial sectional view illustrating a modification of the invention. Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4.4 in Fig. 3.

Corresponding parts in the several figures are. denoted by like characters of reference.

The car body A is provided with inclined bottom members 13, B, said bottom members bein inclined toward the bottom aperture C w ich is adapted to be obstructed by a substantially sector-shaped door or valve D having a curved or arcuate face 4 and end members G. The door or valve D is en ported by means of a shaft or shafts which may be journaled in boxes or bearings H in the sides of the car body and, if desired, in a hanger H intermediate the sides of the car body. The shaft E is shown as equipped with a toothed wheel 1 enga ed by a suitably supported pivot pawl or 0g 2 for the purpose of retaining the door in adjusted position, said shaft being also provided with a non circular portion forming a wrench seat 3 to receive a wrench or handle, whereby the door may be manipulated. When the pivoted pawl or dog 2 is in engagement with the toothed wheel 1 it may be held in enga ement ;therewitli by means of a gravity latc 3', thus enabling the door or valve to be securely held either in an obstructing position or in a non-obstructing position w th reference to the bottom aperture 3 or, if desired. in a position intermediate the wbstructing and the non-obstructing positions, as will be readily understood. The door or valve, as illustrated in Figs.

1 and 2, consists of a casing, the curved or arcuate face 4 of which is of a radius equal to the distance between the axis of the shaft or shafts E and the lower ed es of the inclined bottom members B, B. T is casing is provided with an aperture 5 adjacent to which is mounted a coupling device 6 adapted to be connected with a pi e or hose through which live steam may be conducted into the casing from any suitable source of supply. The entire casing constituting the door mafy consist of a casting, heavy sheet metal or other suitable heat-conductive material so that when steam is introduced therein it will become quickly heated, thereb heating the adjacent ortion of such oad as may be contained in the car bod and uickly thawing ice which may have ormed t erein, thus enabling the door to be manipulated more see: y and conveniently than if obstructed by ice.

Under the modified construction illustrated in Fig. 3 of the drawing, the door is composed of a segmental plate 7 havirlibg end members 8 secured upon the .shafts the mounting of the door being similar to that already described. Within the shelllike structure constitutin the door is arranged a pan or receptac e 9 havin trunnions 10 pivotally on aging the en members of the door in sue a manner that when the door is swung ogen, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 4, t e pan or receptacle will b avity remain in an upri ht osition. visi s, this pan suitable com usti 1e material may be placed which the be ignited for the purpose of generating t e necessary heat to thaw any, ice that may obstruct the adjacent parts, or lime may be placed in said pan to be subsequently slaked by the addition of waten for the purpose of generating the necessary heat.

As will be seen from the foregoing description, the necessary heat for thawi ice that may obstruct the movement of thd door may be generated and sup lied in various ways. It is also obvious t at the detailed construction of the door may be modified in various ways within the sec of the claim.

A, door 'or obstructing vs vs for hop er bottomcars constructed In accordance with the foregoin description may be installed at a verym erate expense, and as it is not liable to get out of order, the cost of maintenance will be comparatively trifling. A door of this construction ma be easil operated by means of a wrenc or han 1e of ordinary construction, and it will be readily seen that the door or valve may be moved to various positions, thus permittin the contents of the car' to esca e slow y or rapidly, as ma be desired. ot only ma the escape of t e contents be thus regulate but after a portion has been permitted to escape the door or valve may be readily restored to a completely obstructi position thus permitting the remainder o the load to be moved to a difierent point. Hop er car doors of ordina construction if eft open are liable to be interfered with b obstructions upon the track, and such oors are thus frequently injured or destroyed.

The chains used to suplport such doors also frequently become disa led, making itnecessary to send the equipment to the repair shop. Accidents of this character are not liable to occur when the improved construction herein described is employed.

Havin thus described the invention,

what is c aimed as new, is

A hopper bottom car having inclined bottom members, a pivotally supported sectored door constituting a casing, means for introducing into said casing heated fluid to raise the temperature thereof, and means formovin the door to various obstructing and non- 0 structing positions.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE E. BABBITT. Witnesses L. L. Summon, J. S. SHEDDEN. 

